What Can Students and Youth Do to 

“Lend a Hand?”

Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares

another person on purpose. The person being

bullied has a hard time defending himself or

herself. Usually, bullying happens over and over.

Sometimes bullying is easy to notice, such as with

hitting or name-calling, and other times it’s hard to

see, such as with leaving a person out or saying

mean things behind someone’s back. Both boys and

girls bully, and both boys and girls get bullied.

Bullying is not fair, and it hurts.

What do YOU do when you see someone

being bullied at school?

• Ask yourself, “Is it my job to help?”

Think about how YOU might feel if the bullying was

happening to you. You and other kids can lend a

hand, even when you aren’t close friends with the

kids who are bullied. Your school will be a better

place if you help stop bullying. And making your

school a better place is EVERYONE’S job!

What can I do?

• Lots of things! Think about what may work for you:

• Don’t just stand there. . . SAY SOMETHING!

• Kids who bully may think they’re being funny

or “cool.” If you feel safe, tell the person to

STOP the bullying behavior. Say you don’t like

it and that it isn’t funny.

• DON’T BULLY BACK! It won’t help if you use

mean names or actions, and it could make

things worse. 

What if I don’t feel safe 

telling a bully to stop? 

• That’s okay.

• No one should put themselves in an unsafe

situation. How ELSE can you lend a hand when

bullying happens?

• Say kind words to the child who is being bullied,

such as “I’m sorry about what happened,” and “I

don’t like it!” Help them understand that it’s not

his or her fault. Be a friend. Invite that student to

do things with you, such as sit together at lunch

or work together on a project. EVERYONE NEEDS

A FRIEND!

• Tell the student who is being bullied to talk to

someone about what happened. Offer to help

by going along.

• Pay attention to the other kids who see the

bullying. (These people are called “bystanders.”)

Are any of them laughing or joining in with the

bullying? If yes, these kids are part of the

problem. Let those students know that they’re

not helping! DON’T be one of them!

• Tell an adult. (This is IMPORTANT!!)

• Chances are, the kid who is being bullied

needs help from an adult. The kid who is

doing the bullying probably does, too. 

Often, the bullying does not get reported.

But, who should you tell? Think about who

you could tell in your school: 

• Teacher (which one would you talk to?),

• School counselor,

• Cafeteria or Playground Aid,

• School nurse,

• Principal,

• Bus driver, or

• Other adults you feel comfortable telling.

If you need help telling, take a friend along.
These and other materials are available online at: www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov

Why don’t some kids tell when they 

see bullying?

• They may not want others to think they 

are “tattling.”

• They may be afraid that the kids who bully will

pick on them next.

• They may think that their friends will make fun of

them for trying to help.

Telling is very important! Reporting that someone is

getting bullied or hurt in some other way is NOT

“tattling.” Adults at school can help. Ask them to

help keep you safe after telling. Explain to your

friends that bullying is NOT fair and encourage

them to join in helping!

What if the bullying doesn’t 

happen at school?

• If there is an adult around, report the bullying 

to an adult (your youth group leader, minister, or

sports coach).

• No matter where the bullying happens, you

should talk to your parents about bullying that

you see or know about. Ask them for their ideas

about how to help. 

We ALL must do our part! Kids who are bullied

deserve to feel safe and welcome at school and in

their neighborhoods. All kids do! TAKE A STAND.

LEND A HAND. STOP BULLYING NOW! Check out

other activities at www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov

for more ideas about how you can “lend a hand” to

stop bullying.

References 

Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying At School: What We Know and What We Can Do. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, Inc.